Fun Facts About the Name Kota
- More than 1 thousand babies named Kota: U.S. records list 1,205 babies given the name Kota from 1880 through 2025. Even 158 girls received the name Kota - about 1 girl for every 7 boys.
What Does the Name Kota Mean?
Kota is most commonly a Japanese masculine given name. It is written with two kanji, and because Japanese parents choose those characters individually, the meaning changes with the spelling. The first element is often 康 (kō), meaning "peace" or "health," or 晃 ("bright"), 幸 ("happiness"), 航 ("to navigate"), or 光 ("light"); the second is usually 太 (ta), a long-standing element in boys' names that suggests "great" or "thick, plump." A frequent combination, 康太, is often understood as "peaceful and great." No single meaning covers everyone named Kota.
Separately, Kota appears as a spelling of the Dakota and Lakota name Koda, where the word for a male friend is commonly given as koda. This Native American use is an independent tradition, not a branch of the Japanese name. The spelling Kota is also a place name and surname in India - for instance the city of Kota in Rajasthan - but those are unrelated to the given name's origin.
Kota Name History & Origins
In Japan, Kota belongs to the large group of male names formed from two kanji and ending in 太 (ta). The 太 element has been attached to boys' names for centuries, and combining a first character with it produces many names that sound alike but are written differently. Japanese naming practice gives families wide freedom to pick characters, so written forms of Kota have varied by family and period.
Outside Japan, Kota is used in English-speaking countries, often alongside the related spelling Koda. In the Dakota and Lakota Sioux languages, koda denotes a male friend, and names taken from that word have been used in Native communities. The Indian place name Kota, a city in Rajasthan, and the Kota community of the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu share the spelling but belong to unrelated linguistic traditions; there the word is chiefly a place name and surname rather than a given name.
How Popular is the Name Kota?
Kota has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2023. Its best rank was #1,819 in 2023.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,025 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2024 | #6,506 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2023 | #8,739 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #10,070 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2021 | #6,288 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 2020 | #11,645 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #10,955 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #14,817 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #8,095 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #8,653 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #17,918 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #13,885 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #18,297 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #18,556 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #14,528 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,831 | 87 | 0.0051% |
| 2024 | #2,045 | 74 | 0.0043% |
| 2023 | #1,819 | 88 | 0.0052% |
| 2022 | #1,926 | 81 | 0.0046% |
| 2021 | #2,184 | 65 | 0.0037% |
| 2020 | #2,451 | 53 | 0.0031% |
| 2019 | #2,608 | 50 | 0.0028% |
| 2018 | #2,564 | 50 | 0.0028% |
| 2017 | #2,825 | 43 | 0.0023% |
| 2016 | #2,747 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 2015 | #3,191 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2014 | #3,426 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2013 | #3,030 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 2012 | #4,958 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2011 | #4,295 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2010 | #4,775 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2009 | #3,021 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 2008 | #4,096 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #4,912 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 2006 | #4,440 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 2005 | #4,745 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #4,910 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2003 | #5,171 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #4,265 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2001 | #6,741 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #11,408 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #5,675 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #8,781 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #7,607 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #8,402 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #8,334 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #8,211 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #9,206 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #8,970 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1985 | #7,112 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Kota Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Kota's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kota's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.